Then and Now
by kate657
Summary: Estranged spouses Nathan and Haley Scott have not spoken to one another in five years. That is about to change with a special occasion is set to reuninte them but an unforeseen accident occurs that may separate them for life.
1. 1

**_Then & Now_**

**Chapter One**

Nathan Scott looked around his room that he had lived in so long ago. It felt weird to be back in his parents' house after being away for four years. He had gone to college in New Jersey while playing basketball for the school's team. He saw his many trophies and pictures with his dad and mom and even some with Lucas. He almost choked when he saw one of him and Haley at their wedding on the beach. He sighed. That was a different lifetime. He hadn't talked to Haley since he had his accident and told her not to come home. It still hurt to think about her even after four years. Their marriage would have been annulled when Haley had sent the papers back when Lucas and Brooke went to see her in New York City, but Nathan tore them up. He told Haley that an annulment would make it seem like their marriage never existed in a letter. When he was out of college, he promised to get a divorce, but he never heard back from her. For all he knew, Haley James was still on tour with Michelle, Jessica and Chris. His blood boiled when he thought of Chris Keller. The musician who had come to Tree Hill to take his wife from him. His thoughts were interrupted by someone tapping on his bedroom door.

"Hey, Nate," Lucas said coolly as he came into the room.

"Hi, Luke," he said.

"Wow. This is weird, huh?" Lucas asked. Nathan looked up at him. They had both come home for Uncle Keith's and Karen's wedding. Already his father had started pressuring Nathan about staying in Tree Hill, but Nathan wasn't too sure that he could. Too many things reminded him of her.

"Yeah, it is weird. But I'm happy for Keith and your mom," he said. Luke nodded.

"I always thought that eventually they would get married. I just can't believe it took them this long," he commented.

"Well, if Keith hadn't gone off to find himself after that almost-wedding to Jules, it probably would've happened a lot sooner," Nathan said. Lucas clasped his hands together and started to whistle. He was also moving his feet a lot. "Is there something that you want to tell me or is there some other reason you look like a jittering bug?" Nathan asked impatiently. Lucas sighed.

"I'm not sure if I should," he said.

"Why not?" Nathan asked.

"Because I know you," Lucas said cryptically.

"Just tell me. I think I'm old enough to handle bad news," he said. Lucas sighed.

"My mom talked to her mom on the phone earlier today," he said. Nathan's head snapped at the sentence.

"Who?" he asked coolly but he knew exactly who Lucas was talking about. He looked up to see Lucas giving him a 'duh' look.

"Are you really that immature?" he asked. Nathan sighed. "Her mom called to say that Haley probably won't make it to the wedding," Lucas said. Nathan snorted.

"As if that's a huge surprise," Nathan said.

"There is a real reason, Nathan," Lucas said seriously.

"What? Got her tour dates mixed up?" He asked.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he said, "You can be a real jerk sometimes. Haley's not on tour anymore. She went to college just like you did when she graduated from Tree Hill High," he said.

"You've been talking to her?" Nathan asked.

"No, my mom has," Lucas replied.

"Ok, so what's more pressing than Karen's wedding? Why can't she make it?" Nathan asked.

"She was in a hit-and-run with a drunk driver," Lucas said. Nathan felt like Lucas had just sucker-punched him. All the anger that he had felt when Lucas brought Haley up was replaced with terror.

"Is she ok?" he asked.

Lucas sighed and said, "It's not like you really care, Nathan."

"Don't give me that. _Is she ok_!" Nathan said. Lucas shook his head.

"No, she's not. She's in a coma, Nate," he replied. Nathan felt as if someone had just pulled his world out from underneath him. Haley was in a coma. It still didn't seem real.

"When did it happen?" Nathan asked.

"It happened when she was on her way here. She was driving from New York and the drunken bastard ran the red light at the intersection just as Haley's car was passing through," Lucas said.

"Is there any brain damage?" he asked.

"No, not that I know of," Lucas replied.

"Why is she in a coma?" he asked.

"Something about blood loss and massive head trauma," Lucas replied.

"What hospital is she at?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, but my mom does. She said she's going to visit Haley tomorrow," Lucas said. It was Thursday today and the wedding was on Sunday.

THE NEXT DAY

Nathan had asked Karen and Keith if he could come with them to see Haley. Karen had said yes in less than a second. Lucas was coming too and so was Brooke. Peyton said that she and Jake would be there in a few hours as they were still making the trip from New Jersey. They headed to ICU. He went to the front desk and asked which room Haley James was in. The nurse checked the computer. "I'm sorry. There's no one by that name," she said. Nathan looked shocked. He turned to Karen.

"What about Haley Scott?" Karen asked. The nurse typed the name on the computer.

"Room 4. It's just down the hall. Second door on your left," she said, pointing to the right hallway. Nathan muttered a thank you. When they got to room 4, Nathan stopped at the door. He couldn't explain it, but he felt Haley's presence even from outside the door.

"Are you ok?" Brooke asked. Nathan nodded. He opened the door and saw that Haley's parents were already there. Lydia looked at Nathan in shock.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?" Haley's father, Jimmy, asked.

"I, uh, came to see her," he said quietly. Jimmy was about to say something but Lydia jabbed him in the stomach.

"Now, Jimmy. They are still married. He has the right to be here," she said. Nathan was shocked to learn that they knew about that. He figured Haley would've told them that they got their marriage annulled as to not make them worried that she was still tied to Nathan legally. He mentally shrugged. It didn't matter. Lucas was already beside Haley's bed.

"Hey, Haley. It's Lucas. Can you hear me?" he asked. Nathan didn't need to look to know that there was no response. And he didn't need to look to hear Lucas fighting hard not to cry and slowly losing the battle.

He heard Brooke saying, "Hi, Tutor Girl. It's Brooke." Then, the doctor came in.

"Um, excuse me. Who are you people and what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Dr. Rasgrotra, it's ok. They can stay," Lydia said.

"No, they can't. Visiting hours are over," he said. Everyone looked up at him. Lydia and Jimmy reluctantly told everyone that it was time to leave. Nathan didn't. "Excuse me, young man, only immediate family are allowed to stay after hours. You need to leave," he said.

"I have a right to be here," he said slowly making his way to Haley's bedside.

"And what makes you think that?" Dr. Rasgrotra asked. Nathan didn't answer at first. He just put his hand on Haley's hair. It was matted with blood and dirt. Her skin was dirty. It looked like ash and soot had been sprinkled all over her face.

"Because I'm her husband," he replied. His words were like an unconscious jerk. He barely even realized he was saying them. It's like instinct took over. Apparently his instincts still felt that Haley was his wife. And she was, legally, but they hadn't seen each other in five years. The doctor didn't say anything in response. He just looked to Lydia and Jimmy for approval. Nathan looked at Lydia pleadingly her to let him stay with his eyes. Lydia nodded before Jimmy could say that he didn't approve. "Can I have a moment alone with her?" Nathan asked.

"We'll be right outside," Jimmy said. Nathan sighed and turned his head down to look at Haley. His heart broke as he saw the full extent of the damage that had been done to her small body. Her arms and legs were covered with dirt, but in some places, he could tell that the nurses wiped some of it off. He figured they did that to put her IV in and other medical equipment to help stabilize her. He looked at her face.

Her beautiful and sweet face looked like someone had taken a bat to it. There were numerous scratches on her cheek and chin. There was a huge gash right above her left eye and an even bigger gash on her forehead. He noticed that she was pale. He could see a few bandages on her stomach as the shirt to her pajamas rode up a bit. He guessed Lydia had brought them and the nurses had helped changed Haley. He silently thanked him for that. He knew that he wouldn't want to he stuck in a paper-thin hospital gown that barely qualified as clothing. He was sitting on her bedside now and buried his head into her left shoulder.

"Haley," he said as the tears threatened to come out of his eyes. He reached for her hand and felt something on one of her fingers. He gasped as he saw her wedding ring on her finger. He was so shocked that he dropped her hand. He never expected her to be still wearing it after all this time. He had put his in a box and put it in his dresser along with the bracelet he'd given her that she had left behind. He felt an alarm go off in his head. He was about to lose it and he couldn't lose it here. He didn't want Haley to know that he was crying. He had read somewhere that coma patients could hear everything that surrounded them. He walked away as the tears started to fall. He made it to the door. He opened the door halfway and stopped. He tried to regain his composure, but he failed. Lydia was standing outside the door and noticed that Nathan was about to break down. She didn't know what else to do, so she just offered him a hug. He was about to take her offer, but something stopped him.

"Nathan," Haley whispered in a very weak voice. Nathan went rigid. He was in shock. He turned around and noticed that Haley was still motionless. He shrugged and figured he must have imagined it. Then, he turned his attention back to Lydia. There was a look of shock on her face as Haley spoke again. "Nathan, is that you?" Haley whispered, again in a weak voice. He turned around. He focused his eyes on the form in the bed. Her eyes were slightly open and her hand was on her stomach, not on the bed where Nathan had dropped it.


	2. 2

**Chapter Two**

Haley was so confused. She didn't understand what was going on. There were a whole bunch of thoughts swirling around in her head. The pain coursing through her body when she moved, the voices she was hearing. She couldn't exactly place them all. It'd been so long since she'd heard anyone's voices from Tree Hill. She recognized Lucas' or at least she thought she did. But she could feel Nathan before he touched her. It had been a long time since she'd seen him, but she had memorized his smell. The smell was somewhat different and that was to be expected after all this time, but it was still undeniably Nathan. "Nathan, are you still there?" she whispered. Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper that she barely recognized as her own voice. She heard footsteps approaching her. Then a hand holding her left hand.

"It's me, Hales," he said. She smiled a little. Then, she opened her eyes slowly. Big mistake. The lights were so bright, she forced them shut again.

"The lights are hurting my eyes," she said. Nathan breathed heavily. She opened her eyes again as some lights were turned off in her room.

"Better?" he asked. Haley smiled at him thankfully. She looked around in confusion.

"Where am I? Why are you here? What's going on?" she asked. Nathan looked down and then back up at her.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

"Uh. I remember getting in my car to drive to Karen and Keith's wedding on Thursday. I wasn't sure how happy everyone would be to see me, but Karen begged me to come," Haley said.

"It's Friday today. On your way here, you stopped at an intersection," Nathan started. Haley looked at him.

"So?" she asked.

"When the light turned green for you, you crossed through the intersection, but you were struck by a car that ran a red light," he continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Haley asked.

"The driver was drunk, Haley. He hit you," Nathan finished.

"But I'm ok, right?" Haley asked. Nathan sighed.

"You sustained very serious head trauma and internal bleeding. They said your spinal cord was injured too," Nathan said.

"But I'm ok now," Haley said. It was a statement not a question. He shook his head.

"I don't know. They're running tests and the doctor will be on his way to talk to you," Nathan said. Haley was about to say something, but it was as if he was reading her mind. He said, "I'll stay with you. I promise." Haley took his hand in hers and brought it up to her face.

She kissed it softly as she mumbled, "Thank you." Nathan's grip on her hand tightened. He leaned down. He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"Just get some sleep, ok? I'll be here when you wake up. I won't leave you," he said.

"You mean like I left you?" Haley muttered. He squeezed her hand again.

"That doesn't matter right now. We'll talk about that later," he said.

"What about Keith and Karen's wedding?" she asked. Nathan reminded her that it was on Sunday and that it was Friday.

"We'll worry about it then. Besides, Haley, you're my wife. I belong at your side," he said. Haley was too tired and weak to argue. She closed her eyes and the noises of the hospital were drowned out as she succumbed to sleep.

FOUR HOURS LATER

Nathan sat by Haley's bed in a chair now. She was awake again and they were waiting for the doctor to come and talk to them. Nathan had put aside all the mixed feelings towards his marriage. He would be there for Haley in her time of need. He didn't care what she did or didn't do right now. No one deserved to be alone at a time like this. He knew that she wasn't really alone. Her parents were here and Taylor was on her way. Lucas and Brooke were in the waiting room now. He had told them that Haley was awake and aware. Peyton and Jake had come a few minutes ago and were also in the waiting room again. Peyton had had tears streaming down her face as she ignored the nurse telling her that she couldn't go see Haley. Nathan had assured her that Haley was alive and told her that she was even talking. He felt bad for Peyton. Her mother had died in a car crash and it was because she had ran a red light. No, Haley had not run a red light, she'd been hit by a drunk driver who'd ran a red light, but it was still a car accident and Nathan couldn't imagine the terror Peyton had felt when she heard about Haley. _"But Haley's ok, right? She's not going to die. Just tell me that much, Nathan. Please. I need to know_," she had said to him as he came into the waiting room to give them an update. The door to Haley's room opening had brought him out of his thoughts.

"Haley, I'm Dr. Rasgrotra. I was the doctor who treated you. This is Dr. Lockhart. She operated on you," he said. Haley nodded slightly. Dr. Lockhart stepped forward.

"I managed to stop the bleeding, thankfully. So no need to worry about that," she said.

"So, then I'm ok?" Haley asked. They looked at each other. Dr. Rasgrotra grabbed a hammer-like object. He smacked Haley's leg with it.

"Can you feel that?" he asked. Haley's face was a mask of confusion.

"Feel what?" she asked. Nathan gasped. Haley pulled herself up with a great deal of effort. The doctor hit her right knee again. "Oh, my God," Haley said. "I didn't feel that. Why didn't I feel that!" she exclaimed. Nathan's arm was around her back instantly. Dr. Rasgrotra hit her left ankle. Haley nodded, signaling that she could feel it. He hit all the way up and down her left leg and Haley nodded every time. He hit her right leg again. Haley shook her head. He hit all the way up and down her leg and Haley couldn't feel it at all. She kept shaking her leg.

"What is going on? What does this mean?" Nathan asked, sensing how worried and scared Haley was. The doctors looked at each other knowingly.

"Why can I feel my left leg but not my right one?" Haley asked.

"It seems that there's been some damage to your spinal cord. Somehow it's only affected your right leg," Dr. Rasgrotra said in a matter of fact kind of tone.

"So, I've lost the ability to use my right leg forever?" Haley asked slowly.

"How is that possible?" Nathan asked at the same time. Dr. Rasgrotra shook his head.

"We're still waiting for test results, but the loss of feeling and mobility in your right leg is a possibility, yes," he said.

"And what is another possibility?" Haley asked.

"Well, it could be just the swelling and when the swelling in your spinal cord goes down, you could regain the use of your leg. Another possibility is that you could also lose your left leg too. We'll start you on antibiotics and a type of steroids to help bring down the swelling," Dr. Lockhart explained. Nathan's head jerked up at the mention of steroids. He remembered his own encounter where he had collapsed during a game after taking steroids.

As if sensing his worry, the doctor said, "We prescribe this type of steroids all the time. It won't harm her. You don't have any children that are in need of breastfeeding, right?" Haley looked at him in confusion.

"We don't have any children," she said. Nathan smiled at her use of pronoun. She had said "we" not "I".

"We'll be back to check on you later," the doctors said instantaneously.


	3. 3

**Chapter Three**

Nathan sighed. Haley was sound asleep and he was no where near ready to go to sleep yet. Lydia and Jimmy had gone back to Atlanta. They said that they were going to come back, but Nathan told them to take how ever long they needed. He promised that he would not leave his wife's side and that they needed to go home for a while. Lydia had promised to call later to see if there had been any news about Haley and she had. Nathan had told her all about the spinal cord injury and he was about to tell the others. He stood up from the chair and stretched. He quietly closed the door and made his way to the waiting room, expecting to find Lucas still there. Well, Luke was still there, along with Brooke, Peyton, Jake, Keith and Karen. Peyton was the first one to notice that Nathan was there. She looked like she had barely been asleep. "How is she?" Peyton asked. Nathan could tell that she was almost afraid to ask.

"She's sleeping," he replied. Peyton looked disappointed. He knew that she was expecting a better answer, but Nathan felt that he needed to wait until every one was awake to tell them the news. He walked over to Karen and Keith and nudged them to wake them up. Keith was awake within one second. He saw that it was Nathan and he began to wake up his soon-to-be wife. Nathan shrugged and walked over to Lucas and Brooke. They were sitting in two chairs that had no arms so it was almost like a two-seater couch. Brooke was snuggled up against Lucas while Lucas had his left arm wrapped around her shoulder. Nathan tapped Luke on the shoulder. Lucas' eyes opened slowly. His eyes registered recognition and then they opened and took in the surroundings. He seemed to remember why they were all there and began to wake Brooke up. Nathan sat down and took a deep breath. They were all awake and staring at Nathan. He could tell they were trying to read his expression to figure out whether it was bad or good news.

"Nate, can you just get it over with?" Peyton begged, sounding close to tears.

"Haley is out of danger. The doctors said that since she woke up, they're certain she's out of danger of dying," Nathan said.

"Then, why do you look so concerned?" Karen asked.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Lucas asked. Nathan nodded.

"There was damage done to Haley's spinal cord," he started. He took a deep breath. "While she can move her left leg and feel it, she's lost all mobility and feeling in her right leg," Nathan said. Jake's face was scrunched up in confusion.

"Are you saying she's paralyzed in her right leg?" he asked, making it sound preposterous.

"The doctors said it's hard to predict with spinal cord injuries," Nathan said.

"So, is the paralysis permanent?" Keith asked. Nathan shrugged.

"I hope not. The doctors said that it's probably that her spine is still swollen. They gave her stuff to make the swelling go down. They say we have to wait and see," Nathan said.

"How is she doing with all of this?" Karen asked.

"She's scared," he replied.

"How are you doing?" Lucas asked. Nathan sighed. He honestly didn't know how he was. It was hard to believe that only yesterday he was furious with Haley. He had heard that when something tragic happened to loved ones, it makes people reexamine their priorities. He always thought it was a load of bull, until Haley that had been hurt. When he saw her battered body in the hospital bed, he realized that all of the stuff that had happened between them- all of the nonsense that had kept them apart- didn't really matter anymore. He thought he was going to lose her and he was so thankful that she was alive and out of danger of dying.

"I'm glad she's alive right now," he said. Lucas nodded in understanding.

"Can we see her?" Brooke asked. Nathan sighed.

"She's asleep right now. I think it might be best to wait until after we see the doctors again," he said. Brooke looked a little disappointed but nodded in understanding.

"Mom, don't you have some stuff to do tonight?" Lucas asked Karen. Karen shrugged.

"It can wait," she replied. Keith nodded in agreement. Nathan shook his head.

"No, if you have things to do, you can go ahead and do them. The doctors probably won't see Haley until later tonight," he said.

TWO HOURS LATER

Haley opened her eyes slowly. She looked around and saw Nathan asleep in the chair right beside her bed. She looked down at her left hand and saw that Nathan held it in between his hands. She smirked. She missed his touch and she couldn't believe that he was there with her now. In a way, she was almost thankful that the accident happened. Of course, she was loaded with morphine right now. She wasn't thankful for the physical pain. But the accident made her realize her mistake of leaving to go on tour. She wasn't even a singer anymore. She sang and wrote music, of course, but it wasn't what she wanted in a career. When she went to university in New York, she realized that she wanted to become a teacher now. She had loved being a tutor and she couldn't think of a thing to do than helping people learn. She might even become a music teacher, but she didn't want anything if Nathan wasn't by her side. She had missed him so much while she was in college and on tour. She shook her head to stop these thoughts. She could be paralyzed in one leg forever and she was thinking about not having Nathan in her life. Just then, the door to her room opened and Dr. Lockhart and Dr. Rasgrotra walked in. Haley squeezed Nathan's hand. "Nathan, wake up," Haley whispered. Nathan jolted awake. She nodded her head towards the doctors. Haley looked at them and said, "Just tell me whatever it is."

"Well, the swelling is down and you still can't feel or move your leg," Dr. Rasgrotra said.

"But there is a way that we might be able to fix it," Dr. Lockhart added. Nathan looked at him with hope in his eyes. "It would be through surgery. We think that the surgeon might be able to repair the damage done to the spinal cord," Dr. Lockhart said.

"Might be able to?" Haley repeated to.

"Well, nothing is certain when it comes to spinal injuries, Haley. The surgeon won't know for sure until he can actually see the spine," Dr. Rasgrotra explained.

"When would the surgery take place?" Nathan asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," he replied.

"Are there any risks?" Haley asked.

Dr. Lockhart sighed as she said, "No more risk than any other surgery."

"Then, I would like to have the surgery," she said. They nodded.

"We'll see you after your surgery tomorrow," Dr. Rasgrotra said as they turned to leave. When the door closed, Nathan sighed heavily and smiled at her.

"Thank God," he whispered, gathering her hand in his hands and kissing it.

"There's no guarantee that this will work, Nathan," Haley reminded him.

"Oh, come on, Hales. Living in New York has made you a skeptic," he said. She smiled. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss lightly on her forehead.

"I just don't want to get my hopes up, that's all. It has nothing to do with being skeptical," she said.

"Fine. I'll keep my hope for the both of us," he joked. She laughed. "It's been a long time since I've heard you laugh. I missed it," he said. She nodded.

"I've missed you too. More than you could ever know," she said.

"I've missed you more. Haley, I want to say how sorry I am not trusting you and telling you not to come see me when I had my accident. I regretted that. Whenever I woke up, I was hoping to see your face," he said. She smiled and tears started spilling out of her eyes.

"Hales, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, suddenly concerned. She smiled as she wiped her tears away.

"Nothing. Haven't you ever cried when you're happy?" she said. "Choosing to go on tour was selfish of me. I never should've gone," Haley said.

"You were pursuing your dreams," he said.

"My dream was you," she corrected him. He smiled as he came and sat on her bedside.

"Haley, it was a long time ago. We both made mistakes back then," he said. Haley's brow furrowed.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Nathan just sighed. He couldn't tell her. It would kill her if she knew. "I made you choose between me and music. That was wrong," he replied quickly. She shook her head.

"There was never really a choice. I just can't believe I didn't see it then," she said, shaking her head in regret. He grabbed her face lightly and cupped her cheek. He raised her head so it was level with his and they were looking in each other's eyes.

"Listen to me. It doesn't matter what choice you made or what choice you didn't make anymore. The past is in the past and I think we should leave it there. What matters is that you're going to be okay, especially if this surgery is successful. I was so worried that I was going to lose you," he said. Haley smiled. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. This kiss grew more passionate.


	4. 4

**Chapter Four**

THE NEXT DAY. AFTER THE SURGERY.

Nathan sat in Haley's room, waiting for them to bring her back from surgery. A few seconds later, there was a light knock on the door. He already knew who it was before she entered. Brooke Davis had one of those kind of knocks that was different from anyone else's. She poked her head in the doorway, saw that Nathan was there and walked in. Lucas came in right behind her. Nathan smiled. Brooke had never been the shy type. He assumed that's why she was the one to open the door to see if anyone was in the room. "Hey, Nate," she said brightly. He smiled at her.

"Hi," he said.

"Haley's not back from surgery yet?" Lucas asked, gesturing to the empty bed.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Luke?" Nathan asked sarcastically. Brooke went to the door and grabbed a basket with ribbons tied around it. "What's that?" Nathan asked. Brooke smiled proudly. She set it down on the night table that was right next to the bed.

"This is a 'Get Well, Tutor Girl' basket," Brooke said. Nathan looked at her incredulously. "It's designed specifically for her. It's got a pen and a pad of paper for her to jot down lyrics. Or math equations. Whatever. It's got decent Instant Coffee. There's also a few drawings from P. Sawyer. Lip gloss, ponytails, and a brush from me," Brooke started to explain.

"Lip gloss?" Nathan repeated. Lucas looked at her in amusement.

"Brooke, she's in the hospital. I don't think she's going to need lip gloss," Lucas said.

"On the contrary, Broody. The hospital is depressing enough. Her looks don't have to be depressing too," Brooke explained. Lucas and Nathan both laughed. Then, the door opened and Peyton and Jake walked in. Jake was carrying a basketball in his hands.

"That's not for Hales, is it?" Lucas asked, gesturing to the basketball.

"No. I just picked him up at practice. He wouldn't leave it in the car," Peyton explained.

"So, where's Haley?" Jake asked.

"They're bringing her back from surgery in a few minutes," Nathan explained.

"Isn't she going to be groggy?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah. She'll probably want to sleep for a while," Nathan asked. Peyton slapped Nathan on the shoulder.

"Then, why did you call us down here!" she exclaimed.

"I need your help. I'm planning a surprise for Haley and I need your help," Nathan said. Brooke raised her eyebrows in intrigue. "I talked to Keith and Karen and they're ok with this," he added.

"Ok with what?" Brooke asked.

"After their wedding, I want to renew mine and Haley's wedding vows," Nathan said. "You and Haley are back together?" Luke asked.

"We talked about it this morning and yesterday. We agreed that the past is in the past and I realized that after almost losing her, I don't want to live without her anymore," Nathan said.

"Aww," Brooke gushed. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"That's great, Nathan. But what do you need our help for?" Jake asked.

"I actually just need Brooke and Peyton's help right now," he said. Peyton and Brooke looked at each other in surprise.

"I need you to pick up her clothes," Nathan said.

"Why doesn't she just wear what she was going to wear on Sunday?" Lucas asked. Nathan bit his lip.

"That's what I mean. Her car was brought to Keith's body shop so I was hoping you two would grab it from there and get it dry cleaned because it probably doesn't look that good now," Nathan said.

"And what will you be wearing?" Peyton asked.

"That's where you two come in," Nathan said. Jake and Lucas looked at each other worriedly. "I want to stay with Haley as much as I can right now. Do you think you guys could go pick it up my suit from the house and bring it here?" Nathan asked.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"Because Haley and I already agreed that we'll come from the hospital to the wedding and I don't want to leave her alone right now," he said. Lucas laughed at him.

"Of course we'll help you out," Brooke said, jabbing Lucas in the gut with her elbow. They said their goodbyes as Haley was being pulled in on a gurney. The orderlies gently lifted her and put her in the bed. She was out cold from the anesthesia. The nurse came in after and started an IV in her left wrist.

"What's that for?" Nathan asked.

"Pain," she replied before leaving the room. Nathan stood up and walked over to Haley's sleeping form. He put his hand on her forehead and ran in through her hair.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

Nathan was sitting at a round table reading when Haley opened her eyes. She smiled. She just looked at him. He was concentrating so hard on whatever it as that he was reading. It looked like a sports magazine. _No wonder he looks so involved. He's reading about sports_, she thought to herself. She stretched in the bed and as her right leg slowly extended as her left leg did, she laughed. Nathan instantly turned his attention to her. "Hey, you're awake," he said smiling widely. "Nathan, I can move my leg!" she exclaimed in excitement. Nathan got up and watched as she bent her right leg. She winced in pain. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yeah. It's just stiff, that's all," she replied. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, you know how when your foot falls asleep and when you walk on it, it hurts?" Haley asked. Nathan nodded. "That's kind of how it feels. It's just the muscles in my leg that are making it hurt because I haven't used them in a while," Haley said. "That's great, Hales," he said coming around and sitting on her bed. He pulled her close to him and hugged her. She winced but responded and hugged him back.

TEN MINUTES LATER

The doctors came in to talk to them for a few minutes. They said that Haley had to take it easy. No sports. Haley had laughed and said that wouldn't be a problem since she wasn't athletic to begin with. Nathan asked if she could still go to a wedding the next day. The doctors had looked at each other slowly and then nodded as they told them that as long as Haley got a lot of rest before she should be able to go. Nathan felt like he was on cloud nine right now. It seemed like a miracle that Haley was able to use her leg and there were no other injuries that she had sustained from the accident, other than the concussion. "Haley, we need to talk," Nathan said a little more seriously than he meant to. Haley looked afraid. She looked down.

"Nathan, it's ok. You don't need to say anything. I understand," she said sadly. Nathan looked at her in confusion.

She caught the look and said, "Now that I'm ok, you're going to go back to your life. It's alright. You did a good thing. You stayed with me through a tough time and I'm thankful. I appreciate it. I know that the accident doesn't change everything that happened in the past few years. I didn't expect you to just forgive me." Nathan looked at her in disbelief. She was actually serious. She brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. She started to pull out a pad of paper and a pen. Nathan took them away.

"Is that really what you think?" he asked, looking at her. She wouldn't meet his gaze. She nodded. "Haley, I did not stay here out of some sense of obligation," he said. Haley looked up at him in surprise.

"Then, why did you?" she asked.

"You honestly don't know?" he asked, smiling. Haley looked at him expectantly. "I stayed because I love you," he said.

"You what?" she asked.

"You heard me. I meant what I said. I haven't been happy since you left. I've pretended that I've been ok, but I wasn't. I thought about you all the time after you left. Yes, I admit that I was angry. I was pissed and for a while, I thought that I didn't need you to be happy, but that's because I was hurt that you left. Another reason is because I was stubborn. I didn't want to admit that I needed you. Luke, Brooke, Peyton and Jake. They all said that I should just call you, but I didn't want to. Why do you think I ripped up the annulment papers?" he said.

"I thought you just didn't want it to be as if our marriage never existed," Haley said.

"No, that's just what I told you," he said.

"So, you were serious when you said that you wanted to give our marriage another try?" Haley asked. She seemed almost afraid to hear the answer. He smiled.

"Yes. I'm so serious that I want to renew our vows tomorrow," he said. Haley smiled.

"Uh, Nathan, tomorrow is Karen's and Keith's wedding," she said.

"So?" he asked.

"So, we can't renew our vows when we have a wedding to go to. A wedding that we're both a part of," Haley pointed out. Luke and Nathan were Keith's best man while Haley was one of Karen's bridesmaids. Nathan's mom was her maid of honour.

"We can after the wedding," he said. Haley looked at him in confusion. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was talking about.

"Did you do something?" she asked. He smirked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I talked to Karen and Keith and the priest and they agreed to let you and I renew our vows after their ceremony," he said. Haley smiled and threw her arms around him in excitement.


	5. 5

**Chapter Five**

SUNDAY MORNING

Nathan stood with Keith and Lucas at the front of the church. Keith took a deep breath. "You know, it's kind of cold in here," Nathan said. Lucas and Keith looked at each other. Lucas nodded.

"It's because when Keith gets nervous, he tends to sweat," Lucas explained. Nathan wrinkled his face into an expression of disgust.

"Oh, I didn't need to know that," he said shaking his head.

"Are you nervous?" Lucas asked. Keith nodded.

"How about you, Nate? You nervous?" he asked. Nathan looked at him in confusion.

"Why would I be nervous? I'm _already_ married," Nathan said laughing. Lucas laughed.

"He's nervous, Uncle Keith. He just has a tendency to be a wiseass when he's nervous," Luke said. Keith nodded.

"He's always a wiseass. How can you tell when its out of nervousness?" Keith asked laughing. Nathan rolled his eyes. Then, Dan Scott walked over to his brother. Nathan sighed.

"What's he doing here?" he asked angrily.

"I invited him," Keith replied.

"He set you up with a woman you planned to marry and when you're finally about to marry the woman of your dreams, you invited the ass who destroyed your first wedding. Why would you do that?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"Well, in a way, I owe Dan," he said. Lucas and Nathan looked at each other. Keith saw the look and he smiled. "Well, think about it. If Dan had never let it come out that Jules was really Emily, and Karen had never found out about it, I would've married her then," Keith said. Nathan shook his head.

"One: Karen is the one who exposed Emily for the liar that she was. It's because that Karen threatened to expose her that Emily left that day. Two: Dan is the one who hired Emily to date you. So, if it wasn't for him, you never would've dated her or even considered marrying her and you never would have left for so long. If that had never happened, you and Karen probably would've gotten married a long time ago," Nathan said. Keith stopped to consider this.

"Well, Dan is my brother," he offered.

"The brother who betrayed you," Lucas pointed out. Keith shrugged.

"Well, it really doesn't matter now that he's here, now, does it?" Keith said. Nathan looked at his father. Dan Scott had been a thorn in Nathan's side for far too long. First, when Nathan was the dutiful type of son, he had valued his father's opinion and approval very much. It wasn't until Lucas came on the team that Nathan started standing up to his demanding and basketball-obsessed father. Then, Nathan had met Haley and it seemed like the better that things got with her, the worse it got between him and his father. But Nathan didn't care. Once he and Haley had gotten married, Nathan had realized that she was his real family. But when she left, he went back to his other family. He loved his mom but he was lashing out in anger at everyone back then. Now, things were fine with his mom and Nathan was positive things would finally be right again with Haley. Unless she found out his secret. He shook his head. There's no way she'd ever find out. He had left that train wreck in New Jersey.

Haley smiled at Karen. She was gorgeous in her wedding dress. "You look great," Peyton said to Karen who was fiddling with her bouquet. She stopped and smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"How awesome is it that you and Keith are getting married?" Brooke asked. Karen smiled.

"I feel like it's taken forever," she said.

"Well, it wouldn't have taken so long if you had admitted your feelings a long time ago," Haley said. Karen looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" Peyton asked. Haley laughed.

"I can't tell you how much time they spent together at the café and yet they spent even more time dancing around each other. Luke and I both knew you two had feelings for each other," Haley said. Karen laughed.

"I've missed having you around, Haley," she said.

"I've missed being around," Haley said.

"So how was the Big Apple?" Brooke asked.

"Noisy and lonely," she replied.

"Especially without Nathan, huh?" Peyton asked. Haley nodded. They all got into their places at the front of the church.

"Hi, Whitey," Karen said as he took his arm. Karen's parents had passed on long ago and Whitey had offered to give her away. The music started and Haley, Peyton, Deb and Brooke all walked down the aisle while Karen and Whitey slowly followed as the Wedding March began. Haley smiled at Nathan as she moved off to the side. Deb took a step forward as the Matron of Honour. Karen took Keith's hand and walked over to the priest.

FIVE MINUTES LATER

"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest said. Keith leaned down and kissed Karen softly. Then, the kiss grew. Finally they broke apart as everyone clapped. The music started but Karen cued them to stop it.

"Everyone, we have made a last minute change to the ceremony. What started out as a shocking union turned into one of the most loving couples I have ever encountered. But, at their young age, they were unprepared to completely devote themselves each other as their dreams got in the way. As a lot of you know, these two have been apart for a long time. But after a tragic car accident that almost killed one of them, they have finally found their way back together. Please join me as all of us witness the first _public_ wedding of Nathan and Haley Scott," Karen said. Nathan smirked as he stepped forward and Luke stayed close by. Haley took Nathan's hand and instantly felt the spark as their hands touched. Lucas stepped forward as Brooke did too.

"Nathan and Haley have chosen to express their vows in their own words," the priest said. Nathan looked at Haley anxiously. He could play cool during Keith's wedding but now that the time had come for him and Haley, he was suddenly a nervous wreck.

"Do you want to go first?" Haley asked. He nodded as he took a deep breath.

"Haley. Since you were my tutor, you know I'm not the best at expressing myself using words," he said. Haley smiled while everyone laughed. "When Luke told me that you would might not be able to make it to Keith and Karen's wedding, my first thought was that something more important came up. I responded like a jerk and Luke nailed me for it. He told me that a drunk driver had collided with your car and you were in the hospital. When he said the word 'coma', I felt like I had been hit by a car too. I went to see you in the hospital and the damage that had been done to you broke my heart. I held your hand and I sat by your bed. I knew I needed you back in my life, but it wasn't until you woke up and the first thing that you said was my name as I was walking out the door that I realized how deeply we're connected. We went through a hurricane and while there was damage done, we still found a way to rebuild what was broken. I love you," Nathan said. Haley smiled as tears were streaming out of her eyes. She wiped them off her face as she took a deep breath.

"And now I'm wondering why I chose to go second. That's a tough act to follow," she said. Nathan laughed. She bit her lip. She took his hand and put it to her heart. "You mean so much to me. A lot of girls date many different guys in high school to see who they really want to be with and even then, they don't necessarily stay with the one they choose. They go on dating in college and after that. But I didn't have to. I found my first boyfriend, my first love and my husband in eleventh grade. And I wasn't even really looking for him. Loving you made me selfish and I'm not ashamed to admit that fact because loving and marrying you was the first thing I did for me. You weren't perfect when I first met you and neither was I. But after meeting me, you told me that you wanted to be the kind of person who was good enough to be seen with someone like me. I thought you were crazy, of course. I was far from perfect, but for me, you said you changed. You didn't. Our love just brought out the best in both of us. And whether we're together or not, our connection was always there. That's how I knew that it was you in my room. I could feel you there, holding my hand and trying not to cry, even when I was unconscious," Haley said. Nathan laughed again. "I love you," she finished.

"I pronounce you husband and wife _again_ and you may kiss your bride," the priest said. Haley laughed. Nathan looped his arm around her waist and anchored her to him. Then, he bent his head and kissed her deeply.

THE END


End file.
